Tirupati: Vaccination drive for 18-plus group at brisk pace
DIO Dr C Hanumantha Rao monitoring vaccination programme at Gudipala PHC. (File photo)
Tirupati: The Covid vaccination drive has been going on at a brisk pace in the district. Apart from administering limited doses on a day to day basis, several mega vaccination drives had given the required momentum to the drive. The district has so far vaccinated around 24 lakh doses covering various groups. Of this, nearly 17 lakh first doses and seven lakh second doses were given.
As the majority people of various priority groups have been covered already, now, the officials have focussed on vaccinating 18-44-year-age group. While the process has already taken off in the urban areas, it will be started in rural areas as well in a couple of days.
According to the District Immunisation Officer Dr C Hanumantha Rao, they are expecting vaccine doses to come on Monday which will be given for 18 plus age group people, probably from Tuesday.
He told The Hans India that an estimated 15.45 lakh people are in the age bracket of 18-44 years who will be covered in a phased manner.
So far, 6.15 lakh people in the age group of above 60 years took their shots out of which 39 lakh got their first dose while the remaining had the second shots as well. Similarly, nearly 6.73 lakh people in the age group of 45-59 years took the first dose whereas 2.80 lakh of them have taken their second dose as well.
Majority of healthcare workers took their both shots while only around 4,000 had to get the second doses. Out of 1.08 lakh doses given for frontline workers, about 86,000 got the second doses too. The DIO said that since the vaccination programme has taken up for 18 plus group, so far 4.50 lakh have taken the jab while 55,000 of them were already given the second doses also. Vaccination for pregnant women and mothers having 0-5 years children has been going on along with the abroad going category.
To a question, he said around 19.43 lakh Covishield doses were administered in the district as against 3.96 lakh Covaxin doses. Another 14,782 doses of Sputnik V were also administered in the district.